Separator



March 1, 1932. HEYDEN 1,847,530

SEPARATGR Filed July 2 7, 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR WA ATTORNEY T. A HEYDEN Q March 1, 1932;

SEPARATORV Filed July 27, 1929 4 Sheets-She et 2 a n G hu a/17oz" I H 7/0 rlley M w March 1, 1932. T. A. HEYDEN 1,847,530

SEPARATOR Filed July 27. 1929 4 Sheets-Shet 3 77160401: A? flag d? T. A. HEYDEN March l, 1932.

'SEPARATOR 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed July 27,v 1929 INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 1 1932 UNITED S'IIA'TE'ISJ PATENTF OFFICE THEODORE A. n YnnN, or PENDIAETON, OREGON SEPAYRATOR Application fi led. July 27, 1929. Serial No. 381,5 51.

v the machine and outwardthlerefrom' after the same. has passed through the cylinderand concaves. V

1 Heretofore, it has been the general custom to agitate the mass passing through the cylinder and the concavesyby mechanical means. Mechanical, agitating elements are expensive to make and offer operating dif ficulties for maintaining the'same in efficient,

operating condition. When the machinehas been used a few seasons, frequent shut downs for repairs are necessary, if efficient Work is to be done by the harvesting machine. Inmy new and improved device theagltating is done by pneumatic means." Through" the use of pneumatic agitation, a moreyiolent agitation results and at the same time provides a more efiicient and longer lifed operating mechanism and one that may be op erated over relatively long periods with a minimum of operating annoyances. In the construction of the device I provide simple means for momentarily stopping the flow of the agitating air to thereby impart pulsations to the agitatingair. The pulsations that has machine.

After the mass passes through the device,

the separated particles of heavy specifi'cgrav ity drop down into a base conveyor. Means areprovided for cleaning and separating the heavier particles after the same is fed through the device.

The primary object of my device is to eliminate mechanical construction costs and to lessen mechanical operating diificulties encountered in machines of the standard design. r 1

A further object of my device consists in providing simple means for. pneumatically cleaning the recovered grain in the threshingoperation. p i

A further object-of my invention consists in providing pneumatic means for the redistributing oi' the straw over the ground in the cutting andthreshing operation on combined'harvesters. Y

With these and incidental objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combination of parts, the essential elements of which are set forth in the appended claim, and a preferred form of embodiment of which'is hereinafter shown with reference to the draw- .ings which accompany and form a partof this specification.

In the drawings: I 1

Fig. 1 is a top, lan view, partially in section, 'of an assem led threshing machine of the combined harvester type.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal, vertical, sectional view of the assembled device, the-same be-1 ing taken on line 22 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction indicated. V

' Fig. 3 is a transverse, sectional view of the assembled device, the same being taken on line 3-3 of "Fig. 2 looking in the direction indicated.

I Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the assembled device, the same being made on the pneumatic, manifold side of the device.

Fig. 5 is a cross section view of a pulsating J valvedisposed within the air line leading from the blower to the various transverse pipes disposed within the discharge chamber of the separator.

Fig. 6 is a sectionalview'of the main discharge pipe leading fr'om theblower to the various air discharge-pipes illustrating a settable wing disposed within the line 'for predetermining the amount of air permitted to flow from the main air line to the transverse plpe. I I

Fig. 7 is a perspective, end view ofthe main pipe line into which the grain to be saved gravitates, illustrating air passageways parallelly disposed with thatof the main separator line in which the screw conveyor is disposed.

Like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the several views.

'1 is the feeding end of the threshing machine having a feeding belt 2 mechanically driven for feeding the grain from the source of supply into the cylinder 3. The straw passes through and between the cylinder 3 and the concaves a disposed therebelow. The concave teeth 4 are fastened to a shoe 5 disposed upwardly upon its discharge end 6 so that all material passing through the cylinder and the concaves is discharged overthe gap 7. Disposed immediately below the gap 7 is the primary air pipe 8. Air under substantial pressure and in great volume is admitted into the primary pipe 8 and isv discharged in a blast upward and into the gap 7. This causes'a great agitation. oft-he mass passing throughthe cylinders and being de-1 livered within and into the separating chamber 9 disposed within the central portion of g the body of the machine. An endless straw conveyor 10 istrained aboutsupporting rollers-11 and 12 disposed at oppositely disposed ends of the straw rack conveyor and a plurality of air, pipes 13 are disposed in spaced relationship transversely of the rearward portion of the body element. .A hinged bafiie 14. is disposed between the central-separating chamber 9 and the discharge chamber 15-00mprising the primary compartments of the body element. Air is fedinto the pipes and apulsation is maintained in the air line and is released from, suitable openings disposed upon the upper surface'thereof and immediately beneath the straw conveyor so that great agitation is maintained within the straw to separate the grain from the straw. Air is supplied under substantial pressure and in" great volumefrom the blower 16 that is disposed within a suitable housing .17 placed upon the outside of the body element. .A conveyor pipe 18 conducts the air from the blower 16and from the housing 17 and a plurality of discharge heads lead from the conveyor pipe 18. The primary discharge pipe 8 leads transversely of the machine and is disposed immediately below a gap disposed between the shoe 5 and the straw conveyor 10. The first agitation to the-mass which has passed throughthe cylinder occurs by the air being released from the primary pipe 8 and a very great portion of the grain is separated at this point by the pneumatic agitation of the mass.

The separated grain gravitates into the base of the machine which isillustrated in perspective view in Fig, 7 wherein downwardly sloping side walls 19 and 20 are disposed at either side of the central half-cylindrical base section 21. Agrain auger 22 is disposed within the base 21 and the grain is transported longitudinally of the base 21 by the power driven grain auger. The auger is driven by any suitable andconvenient drivingmeans;

Airpassages 23 and 24 are disposed parallelly These barsare spaced conveniently along the outer periphery and between the blades of the auger in order to pick up the grain being deposited within the-base for further cleaning of the same. Disposed transversely of the lower portion 29 of the body of they machine are additional air pipes 30' for separating the chaff andother materials from the grain. I have found best results are obtainedwherein the various pipes leading transversely of the machine have a cylindrical valve 31 disposed therein having outlets 32 and33 disposed at oppositely disposed sidesof the valve body sothat as the-valve 31 is rotated within its housing, a pulsating action is imparted to the air by the frequent opening and closing of-the air passage. The rotation ofthe valve causes a pulsating agitation to the mass being passed through the machine In eachof the valve 34 operated in conjunction with a toothed ratchet 85 so that the amount of air to be admitted into the various discharge air pipes is settably predeterminable.

One of the difiiculties in combined harvesters has been in the redistribution of the straw over the ground after the threshing operation has been completed. Unless the straw is uniformly distributed over the ground the reseedingof the ground is dificult' and where thesame is deposited in rows or in assembled bunches, itis necessary to burn the same before the reconditioning of the ground and the plowing operation can be undertaken; I have found that by the placing of a blower 36 adj acentthe discharge end of the straw conveyor 10, the straw can be redistributed over the ground in fairly uniform thickness. This eliminates the difficulty of replowing when the straw is distributed otherwise and at the same time, makes it possible to turn the straw under in theplowing operation and thereby maintain the fertilizer .value of the straw. The distributing of the straw by the blowing process eliminates the necessity of following the combined harvester to burn the straw as is done at the present time. It may be found necessary to pass the grain through the machine one or more times in order to thoroughly separate and clean the same.

While the form of mechanism herein shown and described is admirably adapted to fulfill the objects primarily stated, it is to be understood that' it is not intended to confine the invention to the one form of embodiment herein shown and described, as it is susceptible of embodiment in various forms, all coming within the scope of the claim which follows.

What I claim is:

In a threshing machine, a base comprising a central half-cylinder section running longitudinally of the threshing machine, downwardly sloping walls disposed upon each side of the base section, air passageways secured to the lower sides of the side walls and disposed longitudinally of the base section, openings disposed in spaced relationship through the side walls and leading to the air passageways, an auger rotatably disposed within the'base section, and agitating bars disposed within the base section, said bars being spaced along the outer periphery of the auger andbetween its blades.

THEODORE A. HEYDEN. 

